Neom Perfect Peace Candle

Christmas, quite frankly, really isn't a proper Christmas without a Neom Christmas candle on the go.  Every year I buy and light a 3-wick  Christmas Wish, and that's how I know that the festive season is really underway.  I didn't finish last years Christmas Wish, so I still have that to look forward to this year.

This year's addition to the Christmas collection is Perfect Peace, which is a lime and pine-centric piece of Christmas wonderfulness.  It smells gloriously sharp and fresh, which is unexpected in a Christmas candle, but the pine underneath the line is sappy and sharp, and rather lovely, without ever heading into disinfectant territory.  This might be my favourite Neom Christmas scent ever, as even to my damaged olfactory nerve, it still smells like Christmas, just in rather an unexpected direction.

The single wick Perfect Peace candle can still be had for £32 from Neom.  Sadly, the 3-wick edition has now sold out.  I really hope it'll be back next year!

The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Best of 2013 Pt II

Fragrance of the year:

Maison Francis Kurkdijan - Aqua Vitae

According to Persolaise, I said it best  - at a preview of the scent -  when I mumbled that it smelt like a hug from the seventies.  I'm astonished that I've not really written about this fragrance since though (might be something to do with having my best line used before I could commit it to my own blog post alongside a touch of the writers block I've had recently.  Oh well!) ... Anyway, there's something reassuringly familiar and comforting about Aqua Vitae, alongside something a little disturbing.  Built around citrus, hedione atop a base of guaiac wood, there's a hint of CK One here, but also very much more. It's richer, deeper, and more enjoyable to smell, but I can't avoid the comparison between the two completely.

Francis was inspired to produce this by the phrase "the space between us", and, in a way, this is precisely what he's created.  Smelling Aqua Vitae is like slipping into a favoured clothing item of a loved one who isn't with you, wrapping yourself in the ghost presence of your beloved, and smelling and comforting yourself with all the associations you have with that person.  It's the smell of nostalgia, of love, of longing and comfort, with just a hint of the smell of their body too.  It's not a groundbreaking smell, it'll drive you a little crazy in fact, trying to remember precisely what smell it is that it actually reminds you of, but it's a wonderful scent to wrap yourself up in, cozy, warm, comforting and very, very sexy in a quiet, understated kind of way.   Less a fragrance, and more a complete sensory experience, it's the most memorable thing I smelled all year.  The price however will make you cry: it's £175 for 200ml.  Mind, a bottle that size will last you forever.

Fragrance Bottle of the year:

Elizabeth Arden: Untold 
 
Whilst I don't particularly care for the fragrance (it's perfectly good, by the way, just a little too sweet for me), this beautifully tactile design, which looks completely different from every angle, is one of the most gorgeous bottles I've seen in a long time

Combining curves and geometrics with the transparency of glass, and the permanence of metal, it's an objet d'art in its own right.

Fragranced Toiletries of the Year:

Noble Isle

I'm an idiot, I spent a great deal of last year completely ignoring the press releases about Noble Isle as I had the impression that they were some kind of fruity aromatherapy brand.   More fool me, because, whilst the marketing of the products is based on traditional British ingredients, such as rhubarb, and their imagery is based around hedgerows and rolling countryside, there are some seriously good scents in this range.  Rhubarb, Rhubarb for instance, whilst it is distinctively fruity, is sharp, and rounded and gloriously juicy, more like a fine perfume than the fruity stew I was expecting.  Whisky and Water is woody and peaty and smokey, and gorgeous.  Fireside is also smokey, but gloriously spicy and comforting with it.  Since being given a bottle of shower gel to try, I've bought hand soaps and hand creams to keep by every sink in the flat, and I've bought bottles and bottles of different products as gifts for other people too. The packaging is sophisticated and unisex, and the contents are glorious. Don't be an idiot like me, try some Noble Isle, you might like it.  Brad Pitt does ...  

Candle Brand of the Year:

 Neom

 God, I do love a Neom candle.  Clean-burning, and gloriously scented, I burn a Christmas Wish, well, every Christmas ... scented with orange, cinnamon and rounded out with tonka bean, one of these will last you a good few  weeks if you burn it a couple of hours a day. AND it smells of Christmas what more could you want?  This year, I supplemented my Christmas Wish with the Pine, Cedarwood & Eucalyptus varieties, and a Comforting home scent too, which is a smokey-scented blend of cedarwood, star anise and vetiver.  Burned separately, or together, these are the scents of winter.  At £42 each you'll get a couple of Christmases out of each if you burn them judiciously, but they're currently available on the Neom website at  £30.50, which is a bargain!  Go snap them up, and hoard them till next Christmas, you won't be disappointed.  Might have to get a couple of backups myself ...

Hair care product of the year 

 Aveda Sun Care After Sun Masque

A late entry into the hair care stakes, this was a product I gave the harshest of tests to, I took it on my honeymoon!  Sun, sand, sea, chlorine, all are hell on the hair, and, when your hair is both curly and coloured, a holiday is about the worst thing you can do to your hair. Ironically, I came back from my trip to the Maldives with hair in better condition than I went away with!  From the slightly fizzy ginger scent, through to the great slip, and down to the wonderful condition this leaves your hair in, this is a fab product.  So good, in fact, I'm still using it now, in spite of the lack of sun!  And sea.  And sand. And pool.  And endless cocktails.  No, I'm not crying, why do you ask?

So there you have it, these are my discoveries of 2013, what was on your list? 

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Smells Like Christmas 1 - NEOM Christmas Wish

It's December, and to get into the Christmas mood this year, I'm mainly scenting the flat with the flavours of Christmas.  We don't have much of a budget for decorations, and, being the creativity-free zones that we are, scent works much better for us.  So, for this week and next, I'll be bringing you a series of mini-reviews of the products (including candles, body products, and other fragranced products) that most bring to mind the smells of a traditional Christmas.

 

 And where better place to start than with the ur-scent of Christmas, the NEOM Christmas Wish Candle? A 3-wick behemoth, this burns for up to fifty hours.  It is scented with mandarin, cinnamon and tonka, and it sits where ever you put it, gently scenting the air with spices even before you burn it.

I adore the NEOM formula, which has to be one of the cleanest burning wax blends on the market, and the scent blends are amazing.  This is the most pricey candle I'll be showing you, at £42, but I buy one of these every year, and have never regretted it.  Each of the candles sold makes a donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation, so it's doing good, too.  Plus, it will last you right though the festive season and well into the new year, it's a great investment.

What's your favourite scent of Christmas?
   
The Fine Print: Purchase.

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Candle Wall ...

I love candles, now I've moved to Maison Lippie, I have an entire display unit devoted to my favourites, they make the room smell wonderful, even when they're not burning:

Top Row: (L-R) Orla Kiely White Tea (£12.50 from Heals) - this one doesn't really smell of anything when it's burning, which is a shame, as it smells wonderful in the holder. Jonathan Ward Lost in El Salvador -  (£20 from Wholefoods) this is one of my very favourites - you might be able to tell it had just finished burning in the pic - gloriously scented, once burning, this will scent the whole flat very quickly, I'll be heartbroken once it's finished! Malin & Goetz Vetivert (£34 from Liberty) - love the straw and hay scents to this one, I'm hoarding it a little for deeper into winter when I want to be reminded of summer days!

Middle Row: Kenneth Turner Blue Tangerine (£22 from KennethTurner.com) this is a scent I have in almost every format it exists in, shower gel, hand cream, body lotion, candle, room spray, everything.  About the only format I don't own this in is a reed diffuser, but I'm hoping to remedy that soon, I think it's one of the sexiest scents on the planet, and I love this candle a great deal, it's about the third one of this scent I've owned, and I have a couple of back ups.  I just wish it was a perfume.  Orangey and minty, it's delicious. This doesn't smell as strong when it's burning, but I love it anyway. Man's Candle Lemongrass and Thyme (£12 from Wholefoods) smells wonderful in the box, smells of literally nothing whilst burning, and the scent has disappeared since I opened it too.  Definitely one I wish I hadn't wasted my money on.  The White Company Cassis - (£18 - The White Company) smells gloriously green and leafy, love it in the jar, but again, one that doesn't smell so much when it's burning.  A shame, blackcurrant leaves are a great scent! Jonathan Ward Lulu in Provence - (£30 from Wholefoods) Summer in a jar, sweet fruits with a hint of almond and some gorgeous sandalwood, again, it scents the room wonderfully whether lit or not.

Bottom Row: Jonathan Ward Nightingales Jasmine (£30 - Wholefoods) - wonderfully sexy scent for the bedroom, a spicy jasmine.  It's the first JW candle I got my hands on, and it's a glorious introduction to the range.  Neom Complete Bliss (£35 from neomorganics.com) - roses, roses, roses.  I love to burn this one alongside a bath with my beloved Ren Rose Otto bath oil.  It's sweet, and as the name suggests, rather blissful.  If you like roses, you'll love this one.  Kenneth Turner Citrus Bergamia - (£22 - Kennethturner.com) A nice candle this one, but rather forgettable next to some of the others. Harrods Pink Pepper & Passionflower (£20 - Harrods) lovely, gentle, slightly spicy flowery scent.  It's really nice and relaxing to have burning when I'm blogging.

Now, you might be thinking that I have more than enough candles, but I have one space left that I'm saving for Idina's Locket (again from the genius that is Jonathan Ward), I was lucky enough to have sniffed Jonathan's latest range back when it was still in the planning stages, and I can't wait to see how they've turned out in candle form!

But, if anyone is reading, and wants to buy me another, this one has my name ALL over it ... Luce's Candle.

Lippie Chat - Nicola Elliot NEOM Luxury Organics

As it is my first "Organic Weekend", I thought this month's Lippie Chat would be with the founder of one of the loveliest organic ranges I've found recently: NEOM.  Please welcome Nicola Elliot, who has very kindly agreed to take part this month.

Hi Nicola, can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

Originally from Yorkshire I moved to London to pursue a career as a journalist. I worked for In Style magazine and Glamour magazine for years before I decided to launch NEOM. I relocated back to Harrogate, Yorkshire where we moved the head office 8 months ago – the NEOM team and I are also obsessed with getting your chemical count down!

How did you end up in the organic “beauty” industry? How did NEOM come into being? 

I was working as an Editor for Glamour at the time when Oliver (my business partner) and I decided to launch NEOM. Working for magazines I was always surrounded by gorgeous beauty products, however I always wondered how effective they were and most importantly what was in them. Suddenly I saw a gap in the market for a product which was not only luxurious and effective but was also completely organic too.

NEOM was 18 months in the making and we launched in 2005 with 5 candle scents. NEOM now has a candle scent library of 12 as well as home treatment mists and an organic bath & body range too.

A lot of previously “high-powered” women are increasingly giving up their lucrative careers in order to get involved with organic products at the moment, do you have any thoughts on why that may be?

I think we are seeing increasing numbers of people becoming more aware of organic products, whether it is food produce or beauty which is great. This awareness brings more businesses and individuals launching within the organic world.

What are the philosophies behind NEOM?

To be luxurious, highly effective as well as completely organic…Our  NEOM promise is no petrochemicals, parabens, PEGS, silicone, SLS or synthetic fragrances – in fact no nasty chemicals whatsoever!

What makes NEOM unique?

All our products are organic and are made with the highest concentration of essential oils and the finest ingredients – no toxins, paraffin wax or synthetic scents. They also act as holistic treatments, so they make you feel relaxed, more energized or just a whole lot happier depending on which scent you choose. The candles are hand-poured in the UK and the wax burns completely evenly so you really do get to use all of the wax.

Who are you targeting the NEOM brand at?

The NEOM customer is sophisticated and stylish and interested in organics but won’t sacrifice the quality of a product just for its organic status. NEOM Luxury Organics places huge emphasis on the efficiency and luxury of any product, because the ‘gorgeousness’ of any beauty product is fundamental to its success.

What do you hope is in the future for NEOM?

We hope to continue to grow and develop more products. We have just launched our two new candle scents Serenity (Vanilla & Sandalwood) and Sumptuous (Rose & Neroli). We are launching some fabulous travel kits in the summer as well as reed diffusers and a gigantic four wick candle in September too - so watch this space.

What’s your beauty regime?

I am always up early with my son Charlie who is 2, so my regime is pretty minimal. I make sure I always light my NEOM ‘Refresh’ (Sicilian Lemon & Fresh Basil) candle to wake me up; even at 5.30am in the morning it does the trick! I apply some radiance face cream from Burts Bees and a dab of Bobbi Brown concealer before making sure Charlie is dressed and ready. Carrot cleansing butter from Organic Pharmacy is a great product for the evening as it wipes away everything in one easy step.

What is one cosmetic product couldn’t you live without?

NEOM Luxury Organics Complete Bliss body oil, I completely swear by this product. It is amazing to quench the skin and the Moroccan blush rose scent smells absolutely divine too. 

What advice would you give Get Lippie readers?

Your skin is the biggest organ so know exactly what you are putting onto it – don’t trust any marketing blurb!

Organic Wednesday - NEOM Candles

Candles.  Oh, how I love candles!  Jonathan Ward, Kenneth Turner and now NEOM, I love them all ...  was especially delighted when I found out this week that NEOM are expanding their fragrance library to 12 this March with the addition of two new varieties of candle.

Serenity, which has hints of vanilla and sandalwood and about which NEOM say: "For the ultimate piece of me-time, comfort in warming tones of vanilla, a fantastically comforting scent, combined with woody and calming sandalwood. Also works as a gentle aphrodisiac."  Hmn, now that sounds more interesting than I thought when I first read it ....

Also, (and this is the one I'm really excited about) they're bringing out a Sumptuous variety too, which combines rose and neroli - two of my all time favourite scents - and they have this to say about it:  "The most deliciously decadent scent in the NEOM library, rose is calming, soothing oil whilst precious neroli (orange blossom) lifts your spirit and calms the mind. Quite simply - the most opulent feel-good scent in the world."  

Now my mum is an aromatherapist, a reflexologist and a reiki master (she needs to get out more) and she uses neroli like it's going out of fashion, so basically, this scent will make me think of home, and help uplift my spirits at the same time.  I can't wait to get my hands on one of these babies for a sniff.  I think I might also send my mum one for Mother's Day ...

The candles are entirely organic and have a natural base.  You can buy them from NEOM online, or Planet Organic.  I'll be chatting to Nicola Elliot about the brand very soon, so you'll be able to find out more about them then, keep an eye out!